Knife River Heritage & Cultural Center
History worth preserving
Depot
The depot is a faithful restoration of when it was built in 1897 for train riders traveling from downtown Duluth to Lester Park. It was moved in 1899 on two flatcars to Knife River, an expanding boom town in need of a depot. Knife River would become the busiest railroad town on the North Shore as it was the only town where two railroads intersected.
The depot does not operate daily; instead, it features interpretive displays that are accessible as part of a self-guided tour of the Center grounds. The depot hosts several community and area events May through early December. Tours are available by inquiring at: info@krhcc.org
Inset: The original Knife River train depot in 1914. It had separate waiting areas for men and women on opposite ends. The men's room on the west side was removed after traffic declined. The two rooms were then merged into one.
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The depot was restored between May 2019 and November 2025 almost entirely by volunteers. The kiosk was added for extra capacity during summer events.
Photos: Todd Lindahl
Photo: Paul von Goertz
Depot Agent’s Office
The depot agent’s office includes a ticket counter and bump-out from which the agent could see traffic coming from east and west directions.
Photo: Paul von Goertz
Women’s Waiting Area
Originally the women’s waiting area, later to include men. Train schedules for both east/west and north/south trains were kept on a chalk board.
Photo: Paul von Goertz
HO Scale Dioramas
The depot has two HO scale dioramas that depict the north and south railyards, with one being interactive.
Photo: Paul von Goertz
Fish Tug CRUSADER II
Visitors can view the tug from a covered barrier-free viewing deck. The internal operation of a commercial fish tug can be viewed through a plexiglass window.
Photo: Paul von Goertz
Viking Ship LEIF ERIKSON
The 43’ Viking ship replica rests in a post and beam pavilion where interpretive displays describe the design and construction of the ship, the journey from Bergen, Norway, to North America, and the celebrations held at the various ports of call as it traveled to Duluth where it arrived in June of 1927.
Photo: Paul von Goertz
Freight Building
Freight arriving in Knife River destined for other places was temporarily stored in the freight building. The depot agent's office has been faithfully replicated.
Photo: Paul von Goertz
The Lake County Veterans Memorial
The granite memorial to our armed forces was a partnership between the Two Harbors American Legion Post 109 and the KRHCC. It also recognizes veterans of the U.S. Marine in which several Knife River men served.